Canterbury Woods' purchases get Pacific Grove's attention

The city of Pacific Grove and the Canterbury Woods retirement community are on another collision course.

The City Council on Wednesday will consider an urgency ordinance to put a temporary moratorium on use of residential units by people receiving services from group quarter facilities.

The measure, which would give the city more time to study potential impacts, was spurred by recent purchases by Canterbury Woods of one or more homes on Spazier Avenue for use by Canterbury Woods clients, a council report said.

Canterbury Woods operates a retirement facility at 651 Sinex Ave., but butted heads with the city and neighboring residents over the use of three residential units on Spazier Avenue and 19th Street for clients.

The city claimed it introduced a commercial use in a residential area.

But a Superior Court judge ultimately ruled in favor of Canterbury Woods, saying residents of the two homes and duplex didn't use them differently than their neighbors.

The council report warns that increased concentration of such "off-campus" homes changes the "character and balance of the city's residential zone."

The Planning Commission voted 6-0 last month in favor of the urgency ordinance, expressing concern Canterbury was trying an end-run around zoning rules.

In a letter to the city, Canterbury attorney William Tobin said the proposed ordinance is replete with "fatal objections." He said city staff "seems to ask the city to thumb its nose at" the court decision.

Also Wednesday, the council will:

· Consider a recommendation from Councilman Ken Cuneo that the city recruit only "new" employees who have never been in the CalPERS pension system when replacing police officers.

The city would face lower pension costs for such employees under a "second tier" of benefits, Cuneo said in a report.

· Consider whether to join a discount taxi voucher program for people 65 or older. Monterey-Salinas Transit offers the program to cities, which pay $7 per voucher used by senior residents.